Safety clasp



Sept. 12, 1944. A, D ML 2,357,882

SAFETY CLASP Filed Feb. 26, 1943 F 2y a 0 16? Patented Sept. 12, 1944 sAFE'rYoLAsP Charles A. Domler, Providence, R. I., assignor to The Hadley Company, Inc., Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application February 26, 1943, Serial No 477,250

7 Claims.

This invention relates to safety clasps such as are used in wrist watch bracelets, necklaces, etc.,

and its principal object is to provide a clasp which i is of simple design and of pleasing appearance, which is quick acting and reliable in operation, and which embodies inner and outer catches designed so that both members must be released before the associated coupling member may be disenga god. but upon'closing the outer catch, the inner catch automatically operates to lock the parts. 1

Further objects relate to various features of construction and will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompan ying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view ofa part of a wrist watch bracelet having a clasp constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the clasp and associated coupling member;

Fig. 3 is a view similar: to Fig. 2 but showing both catches in open or released position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the automatic operation of the inner catch in response to closing movement of the outer catch; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the clasp.

The embodiment herein shown comprises a clasp I integral with a coupling member 2 secured in any suitable manner to one end of a bracelet B, and a coupling member 3 secured to the other end of the bracelet and having a loop 4 by means of which it may be detachably secured to the clasp l. a

The clasp I comprises a substantially hollow fixed body member having a top wall 5 (Fig. 5) formed with an opening 6 spaced from its outer end, and side walls 8 and 9 which diverge beyond the body of the clasp and merge with the coupling member 2. The lower edges of the side walls 8 and 9 are bent inwardly to provide flanges which constitute a bottom wall It! (Fig. 5), and, together with the side and top walls, provide an elongate chamber which telescopically receives a slidable member 12 formed with an end wall l4, side walls I5'and I6, and a bottom wall ll, more clearly as shown in Fig. 5.

' The outerends of side walls l5 and I5 are provided with upstanding ears l8 which carry apintle 20 for pivotally supporting the outer catch or looking lever 2|, and on the inner side of the ears [8 the side walls are formed with aligned recesses 22 adapted to receive the loop 4 of the coupling 3, as illustrated-in Fig, 3. It will be noted that with this construction and arrangement the slidable member I2 and pivotally supported catch 2| are movable together: inwardly and outwardly relative to the fixed member.

A nose or the like member 25 is secured to the.

top wall 5 of the fixed member by means of pins 26 and 21, the latter extending downwardly through a suitable slot in the slidable member into the bottom wall It. The outer end portion of the nose 2%: is formed with a cam-like surface 38 which is downwardly inclined toward the recess 22, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and the construction and arrangement of parts are such that the outer end of the nose overhangs and hence blocks the entrance to the recess when the slidable member i2 is at its innermost position (Figs. 2 and 5); but when the slidable member is pulled out-. wardly to its outermost position (Fig. 3) t e recess 22 and end portion of the nose are relatively offset so that the latter no longer obstructs the entrance to the recess and hence the loop 4 mayv be removed from and inserted in the'recess 22.

The slidable member I2 is normally held at its innermost or looking position by a small com'-' pression spring 32, one end of which acts againstthe end wall M of the slidable member and the other end against the pin 21, as shown in Fig. 5.

When the slidable member [2 is held in its outer- I most position, as illustrated in Fig. 3. the Spring 32 is compressed, and upon the release of the holding force it acts to slide the member [2 to its innermost position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The inner edges of the ears 18 are inclined downwardly and inwardly, as indicated at 35, to

edges of which are engageable with the loop 4; when the catch is swung toward closed or lock-j ing position, and hence acts through the loop 4 against the surface 30 of the nose 25 and the edges 35 of ears I8 to cause the slidable member l2 to move outwardly, and upon further closing movement or the catch 2|, its side walls 36 are effective to force the loop into the recess 22', since the slidable member moves outwardly a distance sufiicient to carry therecess 22 beyond the overhanging outer end of nose 25; and when the,

loop 4 drops into the recess, the spring 32 then operates to retract the slidable member I2 to its innermost or looking position, as shown in Fig. 2,. in which position the overhanging ends of the nose prevent removal of the loop 4 from the recess 22.

The free end of the catch 2| is provided with a resilient locking finger 38 adapted to pass through the opening 6 and snap about the inwardly bent edge of top wall 5, as shown in Fig. 5. The free end of catch 2| is also provided with an upstanding nib which constitutes a finger-piece by means of which the catch 2| may be pried outwardly and thus disengaged from the edge of top wall 5.

In using the clasp the catch 2| is first swung to open position and the loop 4 of the coupling 30 dropped over the catch. By simply swinging, the catch to closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the loop is carried into the recess 22' and automatically looked, as above explained. In order to release the loop the catch 2| is first swung to open position, and by exerting a slight outwardly and upwardly directed tension on the coupling 3', the slidable member 12' first moves outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and the loop then slips upwardly out of the recess and over the edges 3510fears l8; and may then be removed fromabout the catch 21'.

hile-I have shown and described one desirable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose or illustration and that various changes in shape,

, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as prevent removal'ofsaid loop when the members are slid totheir innermost position, resilient means associated with saidmembers for normally holding them: in said' innermost position, andreleasable -mean-s carried by one member and: engagea-b'le with the other member for locking said members in said innermost position.

2 A: clasp comprising interconnected longitudinal-1y slidable members, one of which is formed with a recess for receiving the loop of a coupling member and the other having a fixed part extending toward said recess and so arranged that when said members ar slid to their outermost position of extension, said loop may be removed from and replaced in said recess, but when said members are slid. to their innermost position, said partoverhangs the entrance to said recess so as-to prevent removal of said loop, resilient means associated with said members for normally holding them in said innermost position, and releasable means carried by one member and. engageablewith the other member for locking said members in'said innermost position.

3. A clasp comprising interconnected longitudinally slidable members, one of which is formed witha recess for receiving the loop of a coupling member and the other having a fixed part extending toward said recess and so arranged that when said members are slid to their outermost position of extension, said loop may be removed from'an'd replaced in said recess, but when said members are slid to their innermost position, said part, overhangs the entrance to said recess so as to prevent removal of said loop, a spring able with the other member for locking said members in said innermost position.

4. A clasp comprising interconnected longitudinally slidable members, one of which is formed with a recess for receiving the loop of a coupling member and the other having a fixed part extending toward said recess and so arranged that when said members are slid to their outermost position of extension, said loop may be removed from and replaced in said recess, but when said members are slid to: their innermost position, said partoverhangs the entrance to said recess so' as to preventv removal of said loop, a spring urging said members toward and normally holding them insaid outermost positions, and a releasable catch pivotally mounted on one of said members and engageable with the other of said members for holding'said members-in said innermost position.

5. A clasp comprising interconnected longitudinall slidable members, one of which is formed with a recess for receiving the loop of a coupling member and the other having a fixed part extending toward said recess and soarranged that when saidmembersare slid to their outermost. position of extension, said loop may be removed from and replaced in said recess; but when said members are slid to their innermost position, said part overhangs theentrance to said recess so as to prevent removal of said loop, andhaving a cam-like surface inclined toward said recess, resilient means associated with said members for holding them in said innermost position, and releasable means for locking said members in said innermost position; said releasable means being engageabl'e' with said" loop when disposed on said cam-like surface and operative when moved to'locking position to act on said loop to cause said members to moveto their outermost position and urge said loop into said recess, and said resilient means being effective when said loop moves intosaid recess to return said members to their innermost position, thereby to lock said loop within said recess.

6. A clasp comprising interconnected long tudinally slidable members, one of which is formed with 'a recess for receiving the loop of a coupling member and the other having a fixed part extending toward said recess and so arranged that when said members are slid to their outermost position of extension, said loop may be removed from and replaced in said recess, but when said members are slid to their innermost position,

said part overhangs the entrance to said recess so as to prevent removal of said loop, and having a cam-like surface inclined toward said recess,

a spring acting on said members soas normally to hold them in their innermost positions, and a releasable catch pivotally mounted on one of said members and engageable with theother of said members to hold said members in their innermost position, said catch being ,engageable with said loop when disposed on' said calm-like surface. and operative when moved to locking scope within said fixed member and having a recess between its ends adapted to receive a coupling loop, said fixed member having a part arranged to project over the entrance to said recess so as to prevent removal of said loop when said slidable member is at its innermost position, said part having a cam-like surface inclined toward said recess, a spring acting on said fixed member and said slidable member so as normally to hold the slidable member at its innermost position, and a releasable catch pivoted to the outer end of said slidable member and engageable with said fixed member to hold said slidable member at its innermost position, said catch being engageable with said loop when disposed on said cam-like surface and operative when moved to locking position to act on said loop to cause said members to move to their outermost position and urge said loop into said recess, and said spring being efiective when said loop moves into said recess to return said members to their innermost position, thereby to lock said loop within said recess.

CHARLES A. DOMLER. 

